For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. There are stacks of books and loads of articles on how to build the fastest Pinewood Derby car out there, so we wanted to compile a few of our favorite tips.
Most importantly, give yourself the gift of TIME! We all know Pinewood Derby season starts soon, and so there is no harm in getting a head start in building!
The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. Shop By Scout. Cub Scouts. Scouts BSA. Additional Programs. Special Collections. Cub Scouts Uniforms. Scouts BSA Uniforms. Venturing Uniforms. Tops Bottoms Hats and Caps. Tops Outerwear Caps and Hats Accessories. Patches and Badges. Adventure Loops. Adventure Loops Belt Loops. Journey to Excellence. Rank Insignia. Webelos Activity. Tents Accessories Shelters. Camp Comfort. Chairs Hammocks Lifetime Furniture.
Flashlights Lanterns Accessories Headlamps. Cameras Power Communication Batteries Entertainment. Camp Kitchen. Pinewood Derby. Raingutter Regatta. Space Derby. Eagle Scout. Court of Honor Banquet Supplies Gifts. Party Supplies. Other Events. You want to know all the tricks and secrets to fast pinewood derby cars? Then you need "Speed to the Finish", the most complete pinewood derby manual available to today. Click here for More Information.
Let's make this simple. To achieve Key 1 and Key 2 can take some trial and error. But you only get one chance a year to test out a design! What do you do? If you would like to eliminate the trial and error, thus maximizing your chance of a trophy win and maximizing the value of your time then consider our Car Plan Booklets. Each booklet has step-by-step instructions and full-scale templates for three winning designs. These plans implement Keys 1 and 2, so you don't have to worry about them.
Short on time or woodworking tools? They are pre-shaped for aerodynamics and pre-drilled for weight, and come complete with instructions and weight. Just assemble, sand, paint, and add wheels and axles to have a great looking and top-performing car.
Does Key 2 sound intimidating? Official BSA Speed Wheels are mold number matched and have been precision-machined for top performance. Official BSA Speed Axles have the burrs and crimps marks removed, a slightly tapered head, and are partially polish. Just a light polishing and these axles are ready to go.
Pinewood Derby Speed Kit To ensure that your car is fast there are a few critical tools and supplies. To ensure that you have these supplies, and to maximize the value of your time, we offer Speed Kits. These Speed Kits include:. Click Here For More Information. The 5 Keys to Pinewood Derby Performance Champion car builders have discovered many secrets for getting the most speed from a car. Key 1: Lubrication - Quality lubricant; applied properly Lubrication is an extremely important key.
Key 2: Wheel Axle Preparation - Axles - no flaws, straight, polished; Wheels - no flaws, polished All frictional losses in a pinewood derby car come from the wheels and axles. Next, prepare the nails.
Place the nail in the chuck of a drill and use a Mini-File to remove the flashing under the nail head and minimize the ridges on the shaft. Beveling the nail head slightly is also a good idea. If you are in a race using Awana or Maximum Velocity kits, the mini-file is not needed.
Optionally use the Pro-Axle Press to ensure that the nails are straight and round. Finally, polish the axles with an Axle Polishing Kit until they are bright and shiny. Avoid overzealous sanding with coarser papers, as that will reduce the diameter of the axle not desirable. Key 3: Alignment - Car goes straight, or rail-rides In order for the car to get to the finish line as quickly as possible, it needs to go straight.
If you don't want to try rail-riding, then make sure your car runs as straight as possible. Key 4: Maximize Momentum - Maximum weight; Weight towards the rear of the car In an automobile, momentum helps the car keep rolling when you take your foot off the gas.
Key 5: Aerodynamics - Profile and body features minimized to improve air flow If you had asked me several years ago, "How do I make my pinewood derby car go fast? There are many elaborate ways to improve aerodynamics, but to simplify matters, let's use the following principles: Low-profile cars smaller surface area as viewed from the front of the car will tend to outperform higher-profile cars.
Cars should taper from a smaller surface area in the front to a possibly larger surface area in the rear. Edges running across the car should be rounded or tapered.
Wings, sails, flags, pennants, etc. My son -- although I help with the more difficult and dangerous tasks -- is largely on his own. I believe it's important that his car be his own.
That's not to say I haven't searched long and hard to find the best performance tips for making my car as fast as possible. It's my understanding that there are as many different rule sets as there are packs, so what I've tried to do is keep these tips as universal and broad-based as possible. Be sure to double-check your pack's rules before your first cut into your pine block.
Put all of your weight in the back. Aerodynamics have little effect in such a short race, but weight does and putting the weight at the back of the car will make your car faster on the flat of the track. Tungsten weights, in most cases, are best because of their high density. Do not paint the car on the small semicircle point where the wheels meet up with the body where the wheel well is on the car in your driveway.
Rather, sand this point to a smooth finish with a very fine sandpaper. Next, after masking off the body's paint, gently massage some dry graphite into the wood. This will reduce friction and increase wheel speed.
0コメント